Forgotten Memories: Desperately Wanting
by NKfloofiepoof
Summary: The second army is almost finished, one being activated at a time. Elec is determined to get to know Metal, whether Metal likes it or not. Flags for yaoi in later chapters. Elec/Metal


One: Status

"So we've basically been replaced?"

"Yep. Wily's almost finished with the new army. They're all constructed and everything -- just need diagnostics checks, central programming, and their personality matrices need to be installed."

"Yeah, I think he's going to do that one at a time; activate one, watch it for a few days to make sure it works right, activate another, and so on."

"What's going to happen to us?"

"I imagine we'll just guard the Fortress from now on."

"That stinks."

"Yeah..."

Elec ignored the gossip at the other end of the table between Fire, Ice, and Bomb, idly stirring his hot chocolate with a spoon, watching the marshmallows melt to form a light froth at the top. He was not quite sure what to think of it all. Replacement robots...a second war...having to fight his family again...his mind just could not grasp any of it. Could not grasp _why_.

_ Wily's insane, that's why..._ he finally reasoned after several moments. It was the only plausible explanation.

As he started drinking his hot cocoa, he began wondering for the first time what the new Robot Masters would be like. There were eight of them, two more than in his army. If he remembered right, their names were Metal, Quick, Crash, Flash, Wood, Bubble, Heat, and Air. Unlike the other five members of his army, Elec had not been particularly interested in the new army and knew nothing about them other than their names. He did not even know what any of them looked like, as he had not followed Cut on his "missions" to spy on Dr. Wily when he was working.

"Who's going to be the first one?" Bomb asked at the other end of the table, "I mean, which one is he going to activate first?"

"He's going to activate them in order of designation number, so 009 will be first," Ice answered, "Metal."

"He's that cute one, isn't he?" Fire asked, grinning at his companions' looks of either exasperation or confusion.

"You just like him because he's got red hair," Bomb snorted. Fire merely grinned.

"That name is really redundant..." Ice muttered.

"Yeah..." Bomb agreed, "I mean, we're _all_ made of metal...but I guess Wily couldn't come up with anything better. 'Sawblade' sounds bad, too, and I think he uses sawblades to fight."

"It's better than 'Metal', though."

"Well, yeah..."

Elec shook his head, growing tired of their gossip and standing up before placing his now-empty cup on the small conveyor belt which carried dirty dishes to the robotic dishwasher hidden in the wall. He turned and started for the entrance to the main hallway, passing his three robotic brothers on his way.

"When is he going to be activated?" he heard Bomb ask.

"Cut said tomorrow," Ice answered. It was the last Elec heard before he completely shut their voices out of his mind, turning to the right and starting down the hall towards the stairs which would take him up, past the makeshift lounge, and to the living quarters. He tried to tell himself that he was not interested, did not truly care what the new army would be like and what they would do in the upcoming war of revenge, but he knew it was all a lie. The more he heard his brothers gossip about the new robots, the more curious Elec became. He had vowed to himself when this had all started that he would not give into his brothers' curiosity and spy on Dr. Wily's work. No matter. Come tomorrow, he would not have to be curious about one member of the new army anymore.

As he reached his quarters, Elec found himself briefly wondering what the new addition would be like. What would his personality reveal? What did he look like? How well would he fight?

Elec shook his head and sighed, sliding open the door to his quarters, stepping inside, and closing the door again. He looked up at his sparsely decorated room and sighed again. He hated having to live here. He hated the Fortress. He hated Dr. Wily. He refused to call this place "home" like his brothers.

He wanted to go back to the home he had once known. The reprogramming Dr. Wily had forced upon him and his brothers had changed their loyalty, but not their memories. All six robots yearned to return to the laboratory of Dr. Light, but none so much as Elec. He "dreamed" of returning every night -- his "dreams" made by a complex virtual reality system which allowed his subconscious to create images as he recharged every night -- "dreamed" of running through the dew-covered, wet grasses of the forest which surrounded the laboratory, always just a step behind Rock whom he had raced every day, letting the smaller robot win every time.

Elec looked down to the floor and sighed once more. He wanted to go back, but he knew it was impossible. _So I might as well get used to living here..._ Now that he thought about it again, he actually was not looking forward to meeting the new army. The brief bout of curiosity must have been a fluke. _Maybe I can fake enthusiasm..._ He shook his head and finally stepped away from his door, tossing his helmet to the floor and pulling his chestplate off, discarding it as well. He sat down on the edge of his bed, laid down, and turned over so that his back was to the door. It was not time to rest yet, but Dr. Wily had not given him any chores for the day, and Elec wanted to just stop thinking.

Since that was impossible, he opted to merely rest and "sleep" until the next day when he would meet the new addition to the "family". So he closed his eyes.

And "dreamed" of running through the woods chasing a small, brown-haired boy he had once known as his brother.

* * * * *

The six Robot Masters were crowded around the small window set in the wall just outside the laboratory Dr. Wily was working in. Cut and Ice practically had their faces stuck to the window, large eyes wide and focused on the small robot lying on the metal table in the center of the room. Fire and Bomb huddled just behind them, also watching intently. Guts' massive form was behind them, bent down so he could see better. Elec watched idly from his place at the side of the window, arms crossed despite his constricting chestplate. He almost could not believe how...human-like the new addition looked. Especially when he considered Dr. Wily's bizarre taste in robotic designs which had spawned Guts and Cut.

"He's so tiny!" Guts practically giggled, openly exhibiting his low intelligence level in just those three words. The other five robots had grown used to it.

However, it was true. Metal was very small and quite fragile-looking. He was shorter than Ice, who was the smallest member of the first army. Blood red hair fell down over his face, synthetic skin so pale it was almost white. His eyes were closed, hiding what color they were. Fire snickered.

"He'll be fun..." the red and grey robot said, grinning. Elec groaned, rolling his eyes. Fire was an open pervert and seducer. He had slept with everyone in his army, including Elec who had only agreed to it in order to get Fire to shut up and leave him alone and stop grabbing his rear every time the younger robot turned around.

"He's activating him!" Ice squealed, capturing the other five Robot Masters' attention. Six pairs of eyes looked through the window to the table where the currently lifeless body lay, watching the form of Dr. Wily turn to his computers and type in the activation codes. After a moment, Metal sat up in a graceful, sweeping motion, eyes open, but his head bowed to stare at his lap, hands behind him to help him maintain his balance. Dr. Wily turned to the window and waved for the six Robot Masters to enter after a few moments of final diagnostic checks.

They entered in order from oldest to youngest, Cut first and Elec last, introducing themselves properly as they entered. Metal watched them with a blank, cold expression, eyes half-lidded and passive, almost looking as if he was not paying any attention.

"I'm Elec," Elec spoke when he finally was able to enter the room, his attempt at faking enthusiasm failing miserably, "Designation number D_R_N#008." He emphasized the 'R' to annoy Dr. Wily who insisted that they go by DWN.

Eyes the color of a fire burning brightly through a forest gazed at Elec as if sizing him up, locking gazes with Elec's own golden eyes and almost piercing through him like a lion staring down its rival. Elec blinked, taken aback by the stunning color of the young robot's eyes. Iridescent like a butterfly's wings, flowing and sparking like flames in a breeze when the lighting changed position and intensity. Elec tried to think of the proper word to describe them. Not stunning. Not intense.

_ ...beautiful..._

Without even trying, the stare-down was won, Metal turning his head away and lowering his gaze back down to the table and his lap like wolf defeated in a pack rivalry.

"Elec. Fire," Dr. Wily spoke suddenly, tearing Elec's attention away from the small robot and to the human, "I want you two to show him around and get his bearings straight. Fire, make sure he memorizes all of the essential areas -- the control room, the practice field, the cafeteria, and the living quarters. Elec, get some food in him and find his uniform. I left it in his quarters." Both addressed Robot Masters nodded obediently. They turned to help the "newborn" off the table, but he ignored them, sliding down to land softly on the cool, metal floor, gaze still locked downward even as he was lead out of the room.

"Want to show him around or feed him first?" Elec asked idly, crossing his arms, "We need to get his uniform and armor."

"I wouldn't mind showing him around like he is," Fire remarked with a grin. Elec rolled his eyes, almost blinking at the lack of reaction from Metal.

He shook his head and half-glared at his brother as he countered, "Go get his uniform, you retarded bastard." Fire faked disappointment, but turned and ran off to do what he was told. Elec shook his head again and looked down at Metal. "Don't mind him. He's really harmless as long as you either ignore him or kick him in the balls." At the lack of reaction, he blinked and tried again, "Not very talkative, are you?" Again, he received no response.

Elec frowned and reached out, cupping Metal's chin and tilting his head upwards to get a better look at his younger's pale face. The smaller robot's gorgeous, red eyes were empty, devoid of all emotion, staring blankly, yet intensely. "Did he not activate your emotion AI?" Elec asked, tilting his head. To this, Metal responded merely by rolling his eyes just enough to look away. It was a start.

Without realizing what he was doing, Elec gently stroked Metal's cheek with his thumb, feeling the soft, almost silken synthetic skin. Metal's gaze slowly turned back to him, eyes still devoid of any reaction. Elec tilted his head the other way, blinking. "Why don't you say anything? Did he not give you a voice box?" Metal kept his gaze locked with Elec's, not answering, red eyes burning into gold.

This time, it was Elec who relented, releasing Metal's chin and looking away.

"I don't see any point in making him wear full armor today, so I just brought the jumpsuit," Fire spoke as he rounded a corner, a dark grey and red uniform slung over his shoulder. Elec glanced back to Metal to see that the "newborn" was once again staring downward at nothing, avoiding eye contact unless provoked. Metal leaned his head away when Fire practically shoved his uniform in his face, but took it, grip loose and frail. He showed no sign of wanting assistance, so Elec gave him none, though Fire seemed to insist upon it, holding him up when Metal raised a pale leg to slip into the lower half of the jumpsuit.

It was completely one-piece, from sewed-on, thin-soled boots to protect his feet from screws and sharp pieces of metal in the floor to sewed-on gloves covering his hands and fingers, zipping in the back from the small of his back to the middle of his neck. It was a dark, charcoal grey, the gloves and boots a shade of red matching his hair. Elec guessed it was made from spandex or something similar, as it was skin tight, form-fitting...

...and left very little to the imagination.

Elec was thankful that his large, yellow mask hid half of his face as he felt his cheeks heat slightly. Fire, however, seemed to appreciate the tightness of Metal's uniform, just barely able to resist the urge to grab the young Robot Master's rear. Elec sighed and shook his head.

This was going to be a long day.

* * * * *

The original Robot Masters had to admit that they were dumbfounded and almost shocked when they noticed that Fire had not yet been able to coax Metal into his bed almost a week after the younger's activation. Cut, Bomb, and Ice were just barely resisting the urge to ask Fire what was going wrong, and Guts was really too stupid to care, but after one day of witnessing Fire's temper raise to dangerous levels, even the lumbering, slow-brained Guts had to admit that he was impressed with Metal's ability to deter his elder.

Elec, however, cared nothing for Fire's "misfortune". He, too, spent most of his time with the newest addition, though it was for different reasons. Elec was determined to get Metal to speak. He had asked Dr. Wily and thus had severed his suspicion that Metal simply did not have an audio formation module -- more commonly known as a "voice box". Cut had suggested that Metal was possibly just shy just as Ice had been, but Elec was not sure whether to believe him or not. Every time he and Metal crossed paths, their eyes would lock, and they would fight a silent battle to see who was dominant. To Elec's knowledge, no one else -- not even Dr. Wily -- knew of their silent "battles" of status or who was currently the dominant of the pair.

So far, it was a tie.

The near-constant chatter at the originals' table tapered to a whisper as Metal entered, quiet and withdrawn as usual. He always sat at the table farthest from them, always ate quietly, and often left without them noticing. Elec usually found himself watching his younger intently, studying him, also watching him when Fire decided to go try his luck again.

Fire was in a particularly determined mood this time, and everyone watched as he strolled over to the small, red-haired robot, throwing a little extra "swing" into his walk. His voice was a rumbling purr, too low to be heard from across the room. The five originals watched as Fire placed one hand on the table on either side of Metal, leaning forward slightly and nuzzling his blood red hair. He whispered something into Metal's ear before he caught Metal's earlobe in his teeth. Then, the supposed unthinkable happened.

Metal whirled and slapped Fire.

Cut and Ice both nearly jumped out of their seats. Bomb and Guts choked. Elec just stared. The slap had been weak, but it had almost floored Fire simply because he had been caught completely off guard, cradling his cheek in a hand and staring stupidly at Metal. Metal just looked at him for a moment before standing up in a swift motion and calmly walking out of the cafeteria without looking back. Several moments of awkward silence passed over the room, Cut and Ice too dumbfounded to think of what to say, Bomb unsure if anything _should_ be said, Guts just plain unsure of it all, and Elec highly amused.

He stood and slowly began walking out of the room, intent upon following Metal. However, as he passed the still stunned Fire, he could not resist the urge to say what he was thinking. The dumbfounded expression on Fire's face was just begging to be taken advantage of. So, as Elec neared the entrance and as he passed Fire, he said the five words on his mind.

"I don't think he's interested."

* * * * *

"Metal?"

The youngest Robot Master paused just before the door to his assigned quarters, turning his gaze to his left without moving his head, fire-colored eyes half-lidded. If it was that fire-headed, grey-armored basta...

"There you are..."

Ah. It was the static-brained, blonde bastard, instead.

"I just wanted to say that was a good one you gave Fire," Elec spoke, grinning, "I don't think he'll bother you from now on."

He wanted to say "Good". He wanted to say "Thanks. Now go away". He wanted to say "And if you start, I'm going to do something I know I won't regret, but you probably will". However, at the last moment, he decided that he liked remaining quiet much more and instead opted to look away from the tall robot and reach back up to the control panel of his door.

"Why won't you ever say anything?" Metal _really_ wanted to snarl at his elder, but that would have required him actually using his voice. "All you ever do is glare at me and get me into a staring contest. It's like a pack rivalry among wolves. Is that what you want?" Elec tilted his head. "If one of us finally completely _wins_ one of those staring matches, will you finally talk?" Metal remained silent, keeping his gaze on the wall. "If that's what it takes, then let's do it. You can't stay silent forever, and if one of us finally staring the other down is what it takes to get you to talk, then let's go ahead and do it."

Metal's head turned to the side to lock his eyes with Elec's own. Iridescent red with bright gold the color of the sunset. Metal's tension was apparent; even given the two or three meters of space between them, Elec could feel the younger's tension. It sparked like static between them, determination growing as seconds turned to minutes and still neither had relented. Both were determined to finally win the battle once and for all -- Metal to establish dominance, and Elec to finally hear the younger speak. The same task, but two different goals. The minutes seemed as if they would stretch into an hour or more before one finally relented, turning his back on the other with a sharp, jerking motion, shoulders stiff.

Metal stared at the floor, hands clenched to fists to keep them from shaking. He had lost the battle of will, of dominance. He had lost it just as he had with Cut and Ice. Just as he had with Bomb and Guts. Just as he had with Fire.

Just as he had with Dr. Wily.

There was no one he could stand over or even call an equal. No one he could look down upon, nor stand upon the same level with. He felt as if he was climbing up an endless staircase and was always several steps below everyone else. He had hoped to dominate at least one of the originals -- hoped to surpass at least one in will alone. However, he was the youngest.

Therefore, he was the weakest.

A hand lighted upon his slender shoulder, surprising him and making him tense for a brief moment. The hand squeezed the joint gently, an attempt at reassurance. Metal slowly looked to his right, then up to his elder's gold eyes. He did not see confusion as he had in Guts' eyes. He did not see gushing approval of his submissiveness as he had in Cut's and Bomb's eyes. He did not see amusement as he had in Ice's, Fire's, and Dr. Wily's eyes. Instead, in Elec's eyes, he saw...

...no change at all.

To the confusion shining in Metal's bright red eyes, Elec smiled. He did not quite understand the point of the stare-downs, but he had an idea. He reached up to gently stroke the younger Robot Master's blood-colored hair, soft to the touch. Metal blinked up at him, confusion shining brighter.

"I only wanted to hear you speak," Elec stated softly, his hand still stroking Metal's soft hair, "I just wanted to talk, have a conversation; anything to just hear your voice." Elec tilted his head. "But if you really don't want to speak, I'll understand. I won't push you into it. If you really don't want to, I won't make you." Metal blinked once more at him before turning away, staring at the entrance to his room. Elec sighed quietly in disappointment, lowering his hand.

However, Metal surprised him by turning back around, head lowered and staring at the floor. A red gloved hand raised, arm extended in a greeting as if this was the first time they had met. As Elec raised his own hand to take Metal's, a soft tenor suddenly spoke, barely above a whisper. Elec listened to it as if it were a beautiful song being sung just for him.

"...my name is Metal. Designation number DWN #009..."


End file.
